Method of handling plastic hollow ware.



PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905.

0. (L-VPIXLEY. METHOD OF HANDLING PLASTIG HOLLOW WARE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 30, 1902.

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ORLA 0. Pr mer, OFICHIGAGO, ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF HANDLING APLAVSTIQHOLLOW WARE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

Application filed October 30, 1902- Serial No, 129,480.

T0 at whom it may concern: Be it known that I, ORLA O. PIXLEY, a citi' zen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Handling Plastic Hollow Ware, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relatesto a method of handling hollow ware while the formed articles are moist and yielding.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my invention as practiced in the making of underground conduits and. hollow blocks.

Figure 1 illustrates a soft conduit-section.

just taken from the table of the formingwmachine and resting upon a platen-board. A similar board is represented directly above the section and a base-block somewhat removed from one end'of the conduit. Fig. 2 shows the section and the base-block held firmly between the two platen-boards while being raised into a vertical position.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the conduit-section, base-block, and platens to one side of thecenter of .said section, showing the positions of. the section and the boards when the section has been broughtto an upright position. Fig.

4: is a similar. view showing thesbase-block resting upon the floor and the section after it has been permitted to settle into the hollow of the base-block. Fig. 5 is a' view similar to the last preceding one, showing the platenboards removed. 4

As is well known, articles made from clay must be dried before firing, and for this drying process they are usually placed in a dryroom. The large size and comparative cheapness of the conduits require that space in the dry-room be economi'zed as much as possible, and therefore it is desirable to place the formed conduit-sections while still in a soft condition in a vertical position. This, so far as I am aware, has not been done heretofore where the article was formed horizontally. When the conduit-section has been laid flat or supported at an angle in drying, some device has been found necessary to provide for the considerable longitudinal shrinkage as the moisture in the substance of the section evaporates.

.chine.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a section of conduit, which in Fig. 1 is assumed to be soft, as taken from the forming-ma- As is usual in the manufacture of conduits, the cutting device upon the formingmachine cuts oil a protecting-ring A adjacent to each end of the conduit-section as the continuous-stream of formed clay emerges' from the machine.

' Brefers to a platen-board, upon which the section A and its protecting rings A are placed by any suitable means, as by a tilting of the receiving-table of the forming-machine.

The lower end B of this board is cham-feredjor rounded at its outer edge in order to-form a rocker-bearing, the purpose of which will appear later herein. A second and similarplatem board B is provided, and for the sake of uni-,

formity and interchangeability this board also is chamfered .at its lower end. Both of the platen-board's B and B are provided with cleats B near their upper ends and cleats B near their lower ends, also near their lower ends with handles B. 1

In practicing my improved method the conduit-section is conveyed to the drying-room upon the platen-board B. The upper platenboardB is then placed upon the upper side of, the section. One operative then lowers one end of the section until the chamfered end B of the lower platen-board rests upon the floor of the dry-room or upon a layer of sand or feltpreviously spread upon the floor. He then grasps the handles B and the operativ e who has been supporting the upper end of the section by means of the upper cleats B tilts the platen-boards with the conduitsection between them upwardly into ,a vertical position. Duringthis process the two operatives exert enough pressure on the platenboards to keep the conduit-section intact and to prevent it from sliding between the platenboards. When the boards are i brought to a vertical position, the side pressure is relaxed sufficiently to permit the conduit-section and its protecting-rings A tosettle until the lower protecting ring A rests upon the floor or other support. The platen-boards are now removed, to be used again. A clamp, either rigid or yielding, may be employed to hold the platen-boards in contact with the conduitsection; but I prefer manual pressure, as hereinbefore described. After a little practice the operatives are able to place the boards in such position upon the conduit-section that when said sectionis turned into an upright position the lower protecting-ring will rest upon the floor, obviating the settling-step hereinbefore mentioned.

When desirable, a special support may be employed for the conduit-section during the drying operation. In such cases the section A, with its protecting-rings A, having been placed upon a platen-board B, a rectangular base-block C, corresponding in size with the end of the conduit-section, is placed upon said platen-board at one end of the section. The upper face of the base-block is hollowed out, the side walls C of the aperture being inclined inwardly and downwardly, said hollow face being placed next to what is to be the lower protecting-ring A. The base-block is provided with openings O corresponding to the ducts of the conduit-section, in order to permit a free circulation of air through the openings of said section. The method of handling the section when a base-block is employed is precisely the same as when such block is not employed. The section, the protecting-collars, and the base-block held between the platen-boards are raised into a vertical position and allowed to settle onto the floor. The weight of the section forces the lower protecting-ring A into the depression in the upper end of the base-block. The conduit is rocked back and forth once or twice in order to settle said protecting-ring firmly into the base-block and the platen-boards removed. As the section dries it contracts both in length and width. The longitudinal shrinkage of course is automatically taken care of by reason of the vertical position of the section. The transverse shrinkage is provided for by the settling of the lower protecting-ring A on the converging walls of the depression in the upper face of the base-block C. As said ring contracts it settles farther into said depression. When the section is dry. it is sufliciently strong to be handled without supports and is conveyed from the drying-room to the kiln in the usual manner.

It is apparent that many changes may be resorted to in the employment of this improved method without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I therefore desire to have it understood that I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

1 claim as my invention-- 1. The process of preparing sections of conduit for drying, consisting in cutting 011' one end of the section to form a protecting-collar; applying pressure to the sides of said section and said collar to prevent distortion while undergoing a change of position; and supporting said section in a vertical position upon its protecting-collar so that said section and said collar shall be free to shrink transversely as they dry.

2. The process of preparing sections of conduit for drying, consisting in cutting 01] one end of the section to form a protecting-collar, and supporting said section in a vertical position upon said collar so that said section and said collar shall be free to shrink transversely as they dry.

3. The process of preparing sections of conduit for drying, consisting in cutting oll one end of the section to form a protecting-collar, and supporting said section and said collar in a vertical position and at the sides only of said collar, so that said section and said collar shall be free to shrink transversely as they dry.

4. The process of preparing sections of conduit for drying, consisting in cuttii'ig off one end of the section to form a protecting-collar, and supporting said section and said collar in a vertical position upon an inclined support, so that said section and said collar shall be free to shrink transversely as they dry.

ORLA (l. PIXLEY.

Witnesses:

I. M. EARL'E, TEDA M. EARLE. 

